







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I'm sorry guys, there is no negotiation on the rent! | |
| How much are they supposed to pay? | |
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | |
| That's good, seeing three houses in one day is not bad. | |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | |
| No, but that's what I feel like having... | |
| Is that a crack in the bath? | |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | |
| Yeah, you are right, it's more useful when you have less things. | |
| Do you want me to call them? | |
| Do you want the tray in the middle? | |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | |
| Thank you very much! | |
| No, I have really bad allergies. | |
| Sure! Why is it so important to you? | |
| She is doing well, we have 3 months left to go. | |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | |
| Then I want to roast it, though. | |
| It makes all of our clothes stink! | |